Mated To The Crippled Alpha-Chapter 204: Too Late

Even after everything I had survived, I had never seen something that twisted.

The moment Silas bit down and spat his own tongue onto the floor, a raw scream tore out of me before I could stop it. The metallic scent of blood rushed through the room, sharp and overwhelming. My instincts flared wildly inside my chest, half rage, half shock. It was so terrifying and gurusome.

Theo reacted first. He pulled me behind him with protective force, his body forming a wall. Julian stepped in front of us immediately, shielding me from the sight as if I were fragile.

But I am not fragile.

I pushed past Julian despite the tremor in my legs and stared at the blood pooling near my feet. Silas’s body shook, yet his eyes still carried defiance.

"You want to die?" I said through clenched teeth. My voice came out steady, colder than I felt. "I won’t let you. I’ll dig out every secret. I’ll make you stay alive long enough to watch Camilla fall apart. You’ll see your precious organization collapse piece by piece."

I turned sharply. "Theo. No matter what it takes, keep him alive." if he wanted to play stupid games, he will win stupid prizes

"Understood, Mrs. Riley." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

The smell was suffocating. I stepped outside before my stomach betrayed me. The night air hit my face, cold and clean, but it didn’t clear the image from my mind.

Silas was insane. He had deliberately given us hope mentioning Mister, mentioning my sister just to make us lean in. Just to drop our guard long enough for him to silence himself.

He would rather mutilate himself than betray them.

That kind of loyalty was terrifying.

Snowville was quiet, the estate lights glowing softly against the winter dark. The flowers in the yard swayed under the streetlight, and for a moment, the calm steadied my racing thoughts.

"Are you alright?" Julian asked, stepping beside me. His tone had lost its usual arrogance. Tonight, he sounded almost... protective.

"I’m fine," I said after a breath. "Stronger than I look."

My instincts were still restless, circling danger like something unseen was watching from the dark.

"You saw it," I continued. "That organization is not ordinary. They’ve trained him well. From now on, we move carefully."

Julian nodded. "I understand."

I glanced at him sideways. "Watch Sheila. Closely. If she’s connected to them, she’ll try to rescue Silas."

His eyes sharpened. "You want to draw them out."

"Yes. If she’s clean, nothing happens. But if she makes a move, we get a trail. Play your role well. Act like you were deceived by Camilla. Let your temper show. Make it believable."

He gave a short nod. "I will. You... be careful."

"I always am."

I returned to my room alone. Lewis wasn’t there. He was probably with Jeffrey, discussing damage control and strategy. The estate felt unusually silent tonight, as if even the walls were listening.

I went into the bathroom and turned on the tap. The sound of running water echoed too loudly. When I leaned down to cup some water into my hands, the image flashed again.

The severed tongue.

A shiver crawled down my spine.

I closed my eyes.

This was the first time I had seen someone destroy themselves so deliberately. Even in this brutal world of Alphas and pack rivalries, there were lines people hesitated to cross.

Silas had crossed them without blinking.

The door opened quietly. Lewis entered with his usual steady presence. The moment he stepped in, the air shifted. He closed the curtains swiftly, his movements controlled and protective, as if sealing our space from unseen eyes.

Then he crossed the room and pulled me into his arms.

"Elena," he murmured against my hair, his voice low and grounding. "Don’t be afraid."

I inhaled his scent familiar, strong, calming. My heartbeat slowly aligned with his.

"I’m not afraid," I said honestly. "Just... not used to seeing something like that."

His hand slid up to cradle the back of my head. "He survived," Lewis said. "Barely. I had samples taken blood, hair, skin. DNA testing is already underway. We’re getting closer."

I pulled back slightly. "He bit off his tongue because he knows if he stays silent, we won’t harm Camilla. If he talks, the people behind him will eliminate her. He’s buying her time with his life."

Lewis’s eyes darkened in thought. He respected strength, even in enemies.

Then something clicked sharply in my mind.

"Mister," I whispered. "He mentioned Mister. That means my sister... she’s alive. She’s being kept somewhere."

"That’s good news," Lewis said gently. "Alive means reachable."

I nodded, though anxiety twisted in my chest. "If we can identify Silas through DNA, maybe we trace his background. Maybe it leads to Mister."

Lewis didn’t sugarcoat things. "DNA alone is difficult. Without a match in a database, it won’t immediately expose him. Facial recognition and fingerprints would’ve been easier."

"I know." I rested my forehead briefly against his chest. "But it’s our only lead."

He brushed his thumb along my cheek. "We’ve located their main underground base. If necessary, we can force our way in."

"No." I shook my head firmly. "Not yet. If we push too hard, the mastermind will disappear. Silas’s capture will make them nervous. They’ll accelerate their plan. When they move, we follow."

Lewis’s gaze held approval. He liked that I wasn’t acting purely on emotion.

"Keep an eye on the Morrigans too," I added. "If the organization wants to tie up loose ends, they might strike there first. We need to anticipate them."

Before I could continue, Lewis’s phone rang.

The sound pierced the quiet like a warning.

A cold unease settled deep in my gut. I watched his face as he answered. His expression shifted slowly focused, then grave.

When he ended the call, I stepped closer immediately.

"It’s the Morrigans, isn’t it?"

He looked at me.

"Elena," he said quietly, "we were too late."

My heart dropped into my stomach.

"What happened?"